Seasons come and seasons go. We're all trying to hold onto the days left that are filled with sun. We've had some overnight rain a few nights, still not enough to make up for the dryness, but things feel fresher and the heat is the good summer heat. I finally got a little bit of summer color from our lake day Sunday. My Scandinavian skin needs low and frequent doses to turn slightly sun kissed, but not burn. Besides trying to get sun but without risk of sun damage, here's my weekly recap in W's of life.
What’s top of my mind:
A long time former pastor of our church passed away. He and his wife were a great support to my MIL following DH's sister's accident and death. They too were good supports to MIL after my father in law passed away, so I know she'll feel the loss. Aging is getting harder for her as more people in her circles first become less capacitated, and then pass away. She's been on my mind this week. I'm beginning to understand a bit better why she attends funerals of even very slight acquaintances.
What I’m watching:
I'm still watching Call the Midwife on some nights. It's such a good show and features so much of the human condition, not just child birth, but all the repercussions and development the decades after WWII. While the series goes late 1950's to mid 1960's, the way life begins and ends is still the same. I highly recommend if you've never watched. The midwives have changed over the years, but there's not a one I don't love.
What I’m reading:
I read a couple magazine's at the lake. I truly wanted summer fluff. I've got a couple issues of Real Simple to get caught up on. I'm still reading my Elizabeth Ogilvie series. Oh how I'd love a summer on an Island. I know for those that work and live year round, it has to be a hard life, but to see the ocean on all sides on a perfect summer day has to make winter bearable. Maybe?
What I’m listening to:
Joni Mitchell popped up on some news feeds after performing live. It felt disrespectful to not use the prompt to listen to some favorites. If you haven't seen this latest performance of Both Sides, here you go. See Brandi and Winona trying to keep their composure. Legend!
What I’m planning:
I'm trying to plan my week off in August and get DH to pick a fall week so I can update my calendar. I have two live meetings that require four hours or more round trip driving, so need to work around those as I'll not be accessible. Calendars are filling up for fall already, both work and personal schedules. DS hinted labor day weekend might work to come visit, but not confirmed.
Who needs a good slap:
DH and I are officially those neighbors now. Thursday night when we left for the music at the park, kids were everywhere on bikes, not paying any attention to cars. Parents of two houses were sitting at end of cul de sac in one driveway, not in the road at least. Great. As I do when I leave, I asked the kids to ride to their driveway and wait until we go so we can see them. They listened, all's good until, we start heading down the road. Fortunately DH was super slow, inching practically, because we saw bouncing balls in the yard and other kids getting really close to the road and had a feeling one was going to run right out. I could see dad on phone, and two moms side facing each other talking, no mind to where kids or cars were. We were focused on ball kids, then the bike kids whooshed out of the drive way right in front of us, laughing oblivious that they just pulled out in front of a moving car. DH bumped the horn. I was so scared!
I rolled my window down and with an anxious voice said, " You all have to pay attention better to what's going on. They road right out in front of us without looking." They looked at us like we were bat shit. DH sort of angrily said, " This isn't a play ground. There's a full park right over there." I was annoyed he phrased it like that as I was handling, but earlier in the week, DH said he had an obstacle course of bikes, balls, and skateboards to get around when he turned into the court, with the parents clueless. He was frustrated. A cute little girl about 3 years old was at my window chattering away. I said, " We just want you all safe," Then to mom, "that really scared me. It could have been really bad." She sort of mumbled something, but I don't know how things went after, but I'm sure we're the mean old couple. I'll take that over a child being hurt. Call me mean. We all know to drive slow and cautious, but actions happen on any side of us. I googled to see what "norms" are for Cul de sac play, and apparently we're in the wrong. It's expected according to all the entitled parents, that kids will ride bikes and play in the road of a Cul de sac, and that's why people choose to live on them.
Who Deserves Knuck's (Fist Bump):
Hmmm, a tough one this week. I'll give it to DH in spite of being a cranky old man. While he is slow to get home projects done, he's still plugging away. He also took his mom to the lake Thursday and out for brunch so kudos for that.
What’s making me smile:
I really love the peonies in the vase. I've decided to research once again, a variety to plant in my yard. They are just lovely. It could be a hydrangea too. Like I'd know the difference.
pThat was my unexciting but in a good way week. I don't like drama, headaches, or needless stress so the Thursday night interaction has weighed on me a bit. Otherwise, this week was just smooth operating days. How was your week in W's?
Sam, as a mother of four children who once lived in a cul de sac and watched a neighbours child seriously injured and left with life long injuries, let me tell you that you are absolutely in the right. Safe and careful driving is always the correct way to go.
ReplyDeleteWe do drive slow,.l but I think we also have a right to come and go without anxiety that a child will jump out in front of us or behind as we back up. Your story is so sad and I don't want anyone hurt.
DeleteIt is a very sad story, the woman who was driving was traumatised so badly her family ended up leaving. As it was a provided company house that meant her husband had to find a new job, her kids had to move to new schools. The ramifications of that accident were felt widely. You absolutely have the right to drive down your street without that worry. You are doing the correct thing.
DeleteI understand about the kids playing out in the cul de sac, but they need to be moving off of the road when a car is coming. That is just common sense. I would be so frustrated.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Saturday Sam!!
I think we both have sort of had it with the annoyed looks we get coming and going, like we're driving in the child's playground. We are slow and careful, but they need to rein to n boundaries.
DeleteThe Thursday interaction would have rattled me as well. FWIW, I don’t think you were in the wrong. They’re are being quite disrespectful of public and private property. Not to mention they are being negligent of their own responsibilities to keep their kids safe.
ReplyDeleteWe went to that delicious brunch on Wednesday and had a date night with hubby to the Pirate game last night. I probably am the one that needs slapped for the condition of this house but oh well. It’s starting to sound like a September problem. Once things get settled down around here I promise I’ll get things straightened up. Pinky swear! I’m looking forward to next week because it’s my birthday! And a three day work week. I think DD and I are having a girls weekend. Her boyfriend is going to California for a school event (it sounds like it could have been for credit but for whatever reason it’s not…so I’m hoping he wasn’t slacking on some paperwork or deadlines) so she’ll have some free time to finish up all her online stuff for school and start cleaning her piles of stuff around the house. We need to take some clothes to Plato’s and goodwill. I’d like to start packing her toiletries to see what we may need to pick up. I also need to get my driver’s license photo taken so I gotta throw a $3 box of hair dye on these greys at some point soon. JoAnn
I even cleaned today but the clutter is winning again. I too think it might be September solutions. Your week sounds very busy. The grays are coming along in fast here too.
DeleteI face people who were friends dying every day. I am always shocked. Of course, I see the parents of my children's friends dying, long time community members with whom I spoke often, all sorts of people dying all around me, it seems. When I see 50ish people, kids I knew well dying, it makes me sorrowful. I read the obituaries every day!
ReplyDeleteThat may be the expectation of parents who move to a cul de sac, but the road is still the road. They only expectation parents should have is that there will be few cars and no through traffic which does not preclude no danger. When I leave a yard with children, I ask them to all move to the front of the car, to porch or somewhere I can see them. I have gotten out of the car to check behind me. It scares me to drive with children who might zoom behind me or innocently wander in my path. You are not wrong.
I was going down a long hill when three children on bikes crossed in front of me, two without looking. I drove around the block, found the bikes in a yard, drove in, gently tooted my horn and people emerged. I told the grandmother what happened and told the children their mother would cry if they got hit and killed. By the time I finished, I was in tears and so were all three of the children. The grandmother told the children I was right and they were in trouble. Bikes were grounded on the spot with a promise to tell the mothers of the three grandchildren.
I pointed to each of the children, saying the last child did not even look. There was much crying but at least no one had been hit. If the grandmother had given me any grief, I would have called the police and the child protective services. Yes, I am that mean woman. But, I was not mean to the children, just horrified and crying. And, this was not in my neighborhood! But, I almost hit three children that day.
I'm sorry you are seeing so many people you know pass a away. It's life as we age, but still sad to read about. I don't know if calling police or child protection would be warranted if grandma reacted negatively to you as she could still discipline behind doors. Though, I do understand you were glad she corrected them right there. It's very scary to think what could have happened.
DeleteSorry about the death of your former pastor. I'm sure it is hard on your mil, but I'm glad that your dh has been able to help.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun week with the music. Looking forward to hearing about the races. I bet it will be so funny watching those short legged dogs racing.
Sorry about the scare with the kids in the neighborhood. I'm glad that you let the mothers know how dangerous it is for the kids to be running around. I'm guessing you have an HOA, so I would be tempted to see if there are any regulations about leaving toys, bikes and such in the road. I know that the HOA that we had in the past were really picky about such things, and I would think child safety would be of major importance.
Hope you have a great weekend.
No HOA- I hope to never have one. Comment sense seems it should be enough to know not to leave things in a street people drive in, but that's not a given I guess. Otherwise, very fun week.
DeleteMy kids played a lot in a nearby cul de sac, and they were taught the rules (any time anyone saw a car, they all moved to the sidewalk). I think it's giving those kids a false sense of security that cars will always be on the lookout for them. Do the delivery trucks drive 2 mph on your street? They certainly don't here!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they pay more attention when they see a big truck. I don't think parents had a clue we were on the road until he honked.
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ReplyDeleteI hate to tell you that those aren't peonies. Most probably hydrangeas.
Well as I said, as if I'd know. I'll let you tell my MIL as she calls the bush a peonie.
DeleteI agree with the others - you absolutely don't need a slap!!! What on EARTH are those parents thinking. I don't live in a cul-de-sac but there are 14 houses around our little island and if you don't live here you really have no need to drive round it. But still, I never let my kids out when they were little without keeping an eye on them. Now we get more people driving through from the next little island and I remember one time we were all out cleaning up the neighbourhood when a young "macho" came belting round. My neighbour stepped out in front of him and asked him to slow down, but when he went to screech off again, said neighbour swung at his car with his shovel. That slowed him down!!!
ReplyDeleteYour story reminds me of something that happened about 15 years ago, maybe? A car came barreling down the road as I was out getting the mail (there's one more house after mine and then a stop sign). I gave my usual "slow down" sign with my arms, and I heard "f@$k you, b***h" screamed at me. I watched as the car screeched to a stop at the stop sign, turned left into the cul de sac and pulled into a neighbor's driveway.
DeleteI watched said neighbor's son get out of the car. That night, I walked down the street, knocked on the neighbor's door and said "I'm only doing this because it takes a village and I would want someone to tell me that if my son was driving recklessly and swearing at people". The father seemed to take it very seriously, as he sent his son up to apologize (now I wasn't home to receive said apology, but my son told me that the kid had knocked on the door). My kids were mortified that I had ratted the other kid out, but too bad.
The irony of the story is that the kid's car had "RIP Devin" written all over the windows, as Devin had died the week before in a car accident...
tl,dr: I was one of "those neighbors" and I don't regret it.
I just don't like feeling awkwardly now, more how DH spoke. But I was surprised googling and all the entitled parents bashing people that had concerns about playing in the street, calling "us" hateful old bags as one said.
DeleteGood for you Bobbie!
DeleteHydrangea Paniculata. Lovely variety.
ReplyDeleteNow I know. I'll forget most likely. Thank you.
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